Only one multiplex show for 'Gulabi Talkies'

New Delhi, Sep 11 (IANS) Veteran Kannada filmmaker Girish Kasaravalli's "Gulabi Talkies", which won the best Indian film award at the 10th Osian's Cinefan Film Festival this year, was released in only one multiplex with one show a day, but he is not complaining.

"Gulabi Talkies" is the screen adaptation of Kannada writer Vaidehi's book "Gulabi Talkies and Other Stories". It is about an expert midwife Gulabi, who is neglected by a number of people for being a Muslim. The film was released Sep 5 and is now running in Bangalore alone and has just one show a day.

"It's not that we had no takers, but we didn't approach any other multiplex for the film. We asked PVR in Bangalore to screen our film and they agreed. My last film 'Naayi Narelu' was also released in PVR only," Kasaravalli told IANS on phone from Bangalore.

Kasaravalli denied rumours that the multiplex has threatened to remove the film from the theatre if it fails to pull the crowd, saying: "We have not got any such information. In fact, they are very happy and they told us it should run in the second week as well."

"We didn't want the film in a lot of theatres. Actually, all single-screen cinema halls now have four shows. It was not wise to have four shows for the movie every day since the office-goers could watch the film only in the evening," the director explained.

"For this, we have placed the film at a time slot of 7:30 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. in Bangalore. It is beneficial for the cinema hall this way also," he added.

The fact that just one show will not be able to garner enough profits does not bother the director.

"Our strategy is different, you see," is all he said.

According to Kasaravalli, "the film is doing good business" as of now. Though he did not reveal the budget of the film, he said it was "medium budget".

"In the first week, we have got a lot of office-going crowd and those interested in media and arts, but now in the coming weekend, we are expecting a lot of college students," he said.

Popular actress Umashree plays the lead in "Gulabi Talkies". She bagged the best actress award for it at the 10th Osian's Cinefan festival. The cast also has K.G. Krishnamurthy and M.D. Pallavi.

When asked whether the film will be released in other parts of India, Kasarvalli said: "We will approach PVR in Mumbai and Delhi, but I still have to talk to my producer about it. Even in Bangalore, the film has been released with subtitles."

Kasarvalli is known for making socially and politically relevant films and his "In the Shadow of the Dog" too won a special jury award at the Osian's film festival in 2006.

Currently he is talking to Big Motion Pictures for a Kannada film.

He did not divulge any details about that project as he felt it was too early to talk about it.

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Gulabi Talkies